miter trimmers

[john moorhead]

Folks -

Okay, does anyone here have either the Lion Miter Trimmer or the knock-off from Grizzly? I would be interested in feedback from anyone here with personal experience on either of these units, or a resonable facsimile. I've been doing a bit of framing of late and expect more in the future and would be interested in a miter trimmer if they do in fact speed up the process and make it more accurate.

Thanks in advance and specific greetings for this portion of time in reference to any diety, dieties, belief systems, advocates, non-belief systems, associations, amalgamations or other specific or non-specific entities, whether or not you fully believe in them or they in you, and only if you do not find my remarks or the thought processes and personal belief systems that led me to make these remarks, at all offensive.

And for everyone else, from this Soto Zen Mahayana Buddhist, "Merry Christmas", dammit, and to hell with the whiners....

Cheers, and a tip o' the tankard...

John Moorehad

[Greg G.]

I have a friend in the picture framing business that uses the Lion. I have used it. Quite a piece of steel, and quite accurate - enough for custom picture frames. I don't think it would do Crown molding, and I would keep my appendages FAR away from that blade and anvil. I think it was close to $500.

Greg G.

[FOW]

I have a knock off trimmer, not grizzly. Never used a Lion, but hear they are a little better. Mine cuts beautiful. I hade to tweek the stops a little.The stops are kinda funky, little spring loaded popup deals. I would think about getting a good miter gauge first. I have an Incra 3000. I don't use the miter trimmer much after that, now. Or build a sled for 45's, Much faster than a trimmer.

[RWM]

I have the Lion Trimmer and think that it is a wonderful tool. My stops were dead on accurate out of the box and cut glass smooth miters. I don't look at it as a tool to speed up the process because it adds another step but in helps insure that you have accurate cuts.

Bob McBreen - Yarrow Point Washington

[Dave Mundt]

Well, I have the knockoff, and, as a matter of fact, I just finished using it today for putting some molding onto a Veteran's Flag display case. I have seen the Lion, and, I have to say that I can't see that it is an immensely better tool than the Grizzly version. Both have scarily sharp blades and a precise mechanism for trimming the ends of molding to a precise 45 degree angle. I like mine a lot, although, it is one of the scariest tools in the shop. Those cutting blades are large, and so sharp that they seem to PULL themselves into the stock (or your finger). The good news is that when (not if) you get cut, it really does not hurt, the blades are so sharp. My Grizzly, which, by the by, I purchased several years ago from a poster to this newsgroup at a great discount, came set up perfectly and ready to use. The angles set were accurate, and the blades did, indeed, produce a glass-like finish on the stock. In any case, if one has a fair amount of framing or molding to do, it is an excellent investment. I see that there are a couple of them on Ebay just at the moment, for not TOO much money (under $140 so far). For what it is worth, a search of groups.google.com for "miter trimmer" should get you further discussion on this excellent tool. Regards Dave Mundt

[speedbuggy]

I have the grizzly. I like it for what it is. The hardest thing about trimmers to me is making sure you trim exactley the same amount from both sides. If you don't you still get gaps/mis-allignment in your frames. I am waiting to buy a framing notcher, it cuts both (2) 45 at the same time with a "V" cutter, much more acurate it is. it uses to stops, one for the short sides and one for the long sides. I have seen the benchtop models start at about $450.

My 3 cents,